Page 53 of Unloved

The sound of my name stirs me from my sleep, but not enough to open my eyes and respond.

“Rhys,” Samuel repeats. “Rhys.”

“What?” I grunt.

“Your phone.”

My phone?

“It won’t stop vibrating.”

I’m certain I don’t have my alarm on today. I’ve slowly started to give myself permission to take the weekends off.

Apparently moving too slowly for him, Samuel climbs over my back and plucks it off the nightstand.

“It says Dad.”

At that, I pop my head out from underneath my pillow. “Are you sure?”

“Here.” He shoves the phone in my face, and as my mind finally plays catch-up, bile rises up my throat.

He never calls back.

Throwing back the covers, I climb out of the bed, completely naked, and snatch my phone out of Samuel’s hand. He flinches and I regret it immediately.

“I’m sorry,” I say and sign, a fist on my chest rotating clockwise, when I notice Lennox looking at me.

“Do you want us to leave?” Lennox asks.

I shake my head just as my phone vibrates again.

“I have to get this,” I say, pointing at the phone. “I’ll be right back.”

I practically jog out of my bedroom as I swipe at the screen. “Dad. Hey.”

“You know every time you don’t answer the phone I just imagine you dead in a ditch somewhere.”

Standing in the kitchen, I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out an exasperated sigh. Awesome. We’re off to a great start.

“I’m sorry,” I was asleep.

“And yesterday?” he prompts. “Have you been asleep this whole time? Nobody sleeps that long if they’re not coming down from something.”

“I’m not coming down from anything,” I say sternly.

“Don’t use that tone with me.”

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

“Dad,” I say, keeping my tone neutral. “You said you needed to talk to me.”

“Well, I’m not going to talk about it over the phone.”

Nothing could ever be straightforward with him. If he isn’t berating me, he’s making me work for every fucking morsel of information he has over me.

“What’s it about?”

I don’t know why I ask. I know the answer, and it’s only going to make me want to come out of my skin while waiting to speak to him.

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